Mapping the Open Model Landscape in 2025

Mapping the Open Model Landscape in 2025 - Nathan Lambert, Ai2 2025 has represented an inflection point year for open models — spearheaded by the release of DeepSeek R1 in January, but built upon by a rapid expansion of the Chinese open model ecosystem. The rapid increase in capabilities is largely driven by a handful of Chinese companies in addition to DeepSeek; Alibaba’s Qwen, Z.ai, Moonshot AI, and more, resulting in a widening gap between the best open Chinese models and Western counterparts. This talk covers the history and current balance of adoption and influence on the AI ecosystem, and then proceeds into a call to action for why the U.S. should also invest in open models as an engine of innovation and research for the rest of the world.